


Two Against One

by afteriwake



Series: Lingering Winter [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 11:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's up to Hitsugaya and Hisagi to protect those they care most about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Against One

_”Rangiku, I can’t let you join their fight. You’ll get killed. I’ll fight for you.”_

There were so many things other things he could have said. Probably should have said as well, but that was what she needed to know. He wasn’t going to fight for any reason other than to take her place and help her Captain because he didn’t want her to get killed. It was a very real possibility that he might die in her place, but the thought of watching her die hit him hard, and if there was anything he could do to keep that from happening he would.

He came next to Hitsugaya as he was taking a momentary breath. He glanced at Hitsugaya once. “I don’t need your help,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Your Lieutenant was about to come here. I came in her place.” He looked at Hitsugaya, and received a look in return, followed by a curt nod.

“Make sure he doesn’t fight dirty,” Hitsugaya said before launching into another attack. Hisagi followed, keeping a close eye on Gin’s movements and attacking himself whenever there was an opening.

“Two against one? How unfair,” Gin remarked, that smile never leaving his face. His eyes were open, however, instead of at their customary position, and Hisagi took that as a sign that he was taking this fight seriously. He didn’t have much time to think before Gin surprised them, moving forward and slashing Hisagi in the face. He could feel the blood flowing, but he didn’t have time to wipe it away as he blocked another attack. He just let it run down his face. It wasn’t obscuring his vision, and that was all that mattered.

Hitsugaya was renewing his attack, and another opening disappeared as Gin began to realize that Hitsugaya was going forward in this fight with a renewed fervor. It was personal, almost as personal as his earlier and unsuccessful attack on Aizen had been. And for now, he would leave the fighting to them until another chance opened up.

\--

_”Shiro-chan. Why?”_

Ichigo had been right, Hitsugaya realized. If he’d gone against Aizen he’d have gotten himself killed. But Gin…Gin was another matter. The bastard had tried to kill Unohana as she was working on healing one of the other participants in this massive battle, and since he was the only one not involved in the fight it was up to him to protect her, and in turn protect Hinamori, to at least try and make up for his actions earlier.

He blocked an attack and sent another ice attack in Gin’s direction, but he was able to block it. It seemed that they were putting their full strength into this fight, and they were closely matched. He tried not to let his anger consume him, because he needed to be clear-headed and he needed to focus, but Hinamori’s voice rang in his head. Even if it wasn’t Gin’s fault, Gin was Aizen’s accomplice and in his eyes that made Gin responsible as well. And with an attack that could cause the healing being performed on Hinamori to stop…

He felt himself settle into a strange calm. It was as though the anger turned cold, as cold as the ice that he directed in his attacks, and he knew he had to stay like this to win. It wasn’t even a matter of _if_ he would win. No, to him now it was just a matter of _when_. Gin would not leave this battlefield alive.

Suddenly Gin moved away from his position to just behind Hisagi. Before the Lieutenant had a chance to tun Gin ran his sword up his back. His robes were cut open from the waist to the top, and they flapped open as blood welled to the surface. Hisagi sank to his knees, and Hitsugaya’s eyes widened. He had been so focused on his attacks that he’d forgotten that Gin fought dirty.

Gin moved, but not before Hisagi called the kido attack he’d used on Findor, and sent it hurtling at Gin. Gin was actually caught unaware, and one of the poles slammed into his shoulder, and the force of it caused Gin to stagger. Hitsugaya knew he wouldn’t have another chance, and he charged at Gin, not stopping until he felt his sword slide through Gin’s ribs and straight into his heart. When they were pressed, Hitsugaya’s hand on the hilt buried all the way up to Gin’s chest, only then did Gin stop smiling. He looked down at the hilt as blood began to pour from his mouth.

Hitsugaya pulled his sword from Gin’s chest and watched as the man fell to his knees, in a reflection of what he had made Hisagi do, and then the barrier holding him up in the air crumbled and he fell to the street, dead. Only when that happened did Hitsugaya move towards the wounded Lieutenant.

Blood dripped down Hisagi’s back, and the wound was thankfully shallower than Hitsugaya had expected. It would leave a scar, even if it was healed. Hitsugaya turned to the rooftop he had left in time to see lightning crackle around Isshin. “Can you stand?” Hitsugaya asked Hisagi.

Hisagi carefully pushed himself up to his feet, and Hitsugaya offered himself as a human crutch as they made their way back to the rooftop in time to see Isshin punch Aizen in the face, in time to see Aizen’s Hollow mask crack and for him to fall to the street below. And then, not even moments later, it was over. Aizen was dead, and the fight was over.

Unohana came over to them, taking Hisagi away from Hitsugaya so she could tend to his wounds. It was then that Matsumoto came over to her Captain, the expression on her face one of relief. “You’re okay?” she asked.

Hitsugaya nodded, turning towards Hinamori, who was lying on the ground near Unohana. Apparently Unohana’s shikai was needed to heal others, and he moved a step closer to Hinamori before remembering that Matsumoto was talking to him. But when he looked at her again, she waved her hands over towards Hinamori before slowly making her way to Hisagi and Unohana. They would talk later, he knew, and he was glad she understood that.

He was joined next to Hinamori by Kira, who was holding her hand gently. “Captain Unohana says she needs to rest for quite a while, but she expects her to live,” Kira said.

Something inside Hitsugaya eased considerably. The fight…he had saved her after all. This was good. He sat on the other side, took her other hand, and waited. Eventually he would leave the rooftop, to join everyone who had congregated on the street below, but for now he wanted to feel Hinamori’s hand in his and revel in the fact that she was going to survive. Everything else could simply wait.


End file.
